Day 91 - It's Hot!

The aim today, after another short night's sleep, was to not to fall into our usual pattern where we do a big day, then are tired an unfocused the next and so end up losing the gain by doing a short day the next. That being said we "treated" ourselves to a 7am alarm to get more than 6 hours sleep - it's been my lowest sleep cycle tour, with the most dark arrivals and my first big tour with Emma...I'm sure those aren't related though.

The border leaving Laos was supposed to be the easier one given Thailand's more chilled entry requirements, but the first sign of trouble came when we bumped into a French family touring around South East Asia for 4 months with their 9 and 12 year old. (Very cool!) And funnily enough they live in the same coty as Emma. Anyway, they warned us that you couldn't cycle over the border bridge and had to get a bus. Sure enough the first thing the border guard explains is that you can't cycle over and we have to hitch or {waves hand randomly} catch the bus. Actually leaving the country was painless, and even only involved two passport showings, but while in the queue we saw the once-an-hour bus sail past - not great for trying to do an efficient day. Hitching it is I guess. Happily everyone, and I do mean everyone, drives pick ups trucks and the second person we asked, after reassurance from the police that we were not only allowed, but encouraged, to do this, loaded us and bikes (he had a full cabin) into the bed and set off across the bridge!

We'd found out just that morning that we were both going to tick a bucketlist item off - crossing a land border where one side (Laos) drives on the right, and the other (Thailand) drives on the left! We imagined all sorts of crazy road junctions, and despite the reality being a lot more mundane - a traffic light - it still wild to see in the...well...wild!

We were both starving, having held out to get into the next country and currency before buying anything, so there was a big 7/11 (American convenience store, here filled with fun Asian snacks) raid before we could finally set off. Queue the gallery of weird snacks that I know you're all clamouring for:

This part of Thailand reminds me of mid France - hot, flat and not much around but people still busy everywhere going about there business. And boy was it hot. 34 degrees and humid, much more in the sun. The engine was definitely less efficient in the extreme heat (Emma apparently hadn't noticed but the locals certainly had), made more difficult by our water shortage until we'd found an ATM and no longer had to rely on water donations (no card here!).

Thailand immediately felt richer and more developed than Laos, and much of Vietnam. People were driving posh pickups (definitely the fashion here) on perfect roads with very few self-built houses.

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the day, but in short we arrived in the town we planned after an hour in the dark having achieved our goal of "the minimum" (100miles)! And they have Grab here 😏!

Food spend today: 44.45 euros

Tea consumption: 5